In Memoriam: Ornette Coleman

News | Jun, 11th 2015

Jazz at Lincoln Center mourns the passing of a transformative legend in jazz, Mr. Ornette Coleman. Our deepest sympathy goes out to Coleman's family, friends and fans around the world. Recently, Wynton told our staff a story about Ornette that demonstrated his role as an educator and a leader for future generations of jazz musicians and we wanted to share this with you:

In the 1950s Ornette lived in New Orleans with drummer Herlin Riley's uncle, Melvin Lastie, a deeply soulful trumpet player. I remember getting to Ornette's house at about 11:00pm and we played our horns until about 2 in the morning without saying a word. Ornette was something – with a rare kind of home-spun seriousness and pure insightfulness that immediately made you feel at home. He said don't worry too much about criticism and to focus on the subtle command of the emotion in my sound and to communicate in the same way a person speaking might raise an eyebrow or scrunch their face.

"After we played, he told me that in the late 1950s my father and Alvin Batiste drove all the way from New Orleans to Los Angeles to visit him. They rolled up to his crib unannounced and, said 'Hey man, we just came to see what you were dealing with.'

"We laughed about all kinds of stuff and when I finally left his house at 3:30 in the morning he said, 'Don't compete with people, compete with yourself. Music is an idea not a race.

We will continue to celebrate the life and music of Ornette Coleman, one of the great innovators of jazz, whose singular voice created enduring works of art that viscerally express the human experience — and that could only have come from him. You can learn more about him from this New York Times Articleand seek out his music to listen to…

On December 7, 2014 the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra drove 8 hours on an off day to play for Clark Terry on his 94th birthday. Victor Goines, James Chirillo, Ted Nash, Vincent Gardner, and Walter Blanding recall the day and the impact that Clark had on jazz.

Jazz is often uplifting and life-affirming, but the sad fact is that many of its greatest figures left us too soon. To honor the greats who were forced to abandon the music early, we’ve compiled a list of some of jazz’s most tragic losses.

Enrich your listening experience of "The Music of John Lewis," the new album from the JLCO with Wynton Marsalis ft. Jon Batiste, with an excerpt from its liner notes and a playlist exploring Lewis's oeuvre!

Chick Corea is one of the most influential figures in jazz and one of the greatest living jazz pianists. In advance of his trio’s July 4 performance in Highland Park, IL, at the Ravinia Festival alongside the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, here are five essential albums from his discography.

Wynton Marsalis appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to perform with Jon Batiste, Stay Human, and acclaimed dancer Lil Buck. Check out video and behind-the-scenes content from their performance.

New to jazz and don't know where to start? With many artists and extensive catalogues of music, a new jazz listener can feel intimidated. We're here to help! Check out our list of 10 albums to get you started on your jazz journey and introduce yourself to some of jazz's great artists.

On December 7, 2014 the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra drove 8 hours on an off day to play for Clark Terry on his 94th birthday. Victor Goines, James Chirillo, Ted Nash, Vincent Gardner, and Walter Blanding recall the day and the impact that Clark had on jazz.

Grassella Oliphant kicks off the Lessons from Our Masters series on his 88th birthday, opening our Coca-Cola Generations in Jazz Festival. Oliphant played with Ahmad Jamal in 1952, Sarah Vaughan through the late 1950s, and released acclaimed albums featuring heavyweights like Bobby Hutcherson, Clark Terry, and Grant Green. It’ll be a festive evening of music as we celebrate Oliphant’s birthday and launch our 2017 Coca-Cola Generations in Jazz Festival!

In the latest installment of So the Story Goes, Buddy Rich—sometimes regarded as "the world's greatest drummer"—gets rhapsodic about the power of music and recounts that one time he played for the Queen of England.

Before his passing in May, Joe Temperley spent 29 unforgettable years as the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra's baritone saxophonist and its beloved elder statesman. Between performances on their recent mini-tour of Canada, several JLCO members shared their memories of Temperley, who left behind an indelible legacy and a whole lot of stories.

April is Jazz Appreciation Month, so we thought we'd celebrate by delving into the careers of a handful of underappreciated jazz artists. Explore the careers of six musicians who deserve more accolades and learn the best places to start with their discographies.